Turkish Rice Pudding

Turkish Rice Pudding, a thick, creamy and rich sweetened rice pudding that is partially cooked on the stove, then baked in the oven to get a lovely brown crust and a nice caramelisation. It's a comforting sweet dish that can be served as a dessert throughout the year, and it can be as simple or as garnished as one wishes.

There is something so comforting about a nice bowl of rice pudding, and the fact that it is a popular dish all over the world shows how simple delicious food goes such a long way. No need for complicated recipes, less is always more.

Growing up, rice pudding, or rice with milk what the translation from Romanian would be, was a staple food in our house. We wouldn't necessarily serve it as a dessert, but it was enjoyed throughout the day whenever one was feeling pekish.

Since, I have tried different variations, from slow cooker rice pudding to Indian rice pudding, and now I have fallen in love with the Turkish variation, it's such a treat!

What makes the Turkish rice pudding stand apart is the creaminess. The addition of cornflour makes it smooth and rich, and the crust it gets in the oven adds so much flavour and texture.

Jump to:

• Ingredients used
• Variations
• Step-by-step photos and instructions
• Expert tips
• Turkish Rice Pudding

Ingredients used

• rice - I used rice pudding rice for this recipe, which is a short grain rice, I wouldn't recommend using basmati rice, as the texture will not be the same. Arborio rice used for risotto is another good choice.
• milk - for this recipe I recommend full-fat milk as it adds more sweetness and creaminess to the pudding - semi-skimmed milk can be an option, but I would stay away from skimmed milk, it's not creamy enough
• cornflour - or corn starch for thickening the pudding
• water - for partially cooking the rice
• sugar - either caster or granulated sugar
• cinnamon and cardamom - for extra flavour, they can be omitted though or used to garnish the dish rather than be mixed in

Variations

I added ground cardamom and cinnamon to the mixture to get extra flavour, and that changed the colour of the dish slightly. For a pure white pudding, omit the spices, or sprinkle some over the top once the pudding is baked.

You can also garnish it with chopped or ground pistachios or other nuts of your choice, dried fruit of any sort, or even edible flowers.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

• rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear
• add the rice to a pan together with the water, and leave to simmer until the water is absorbed ( see photo no 2)
• pour over the milk, reserving half of a cup for mixing with the cornflour later on
• let it simmer for 15 minutes, then add the sugar, cinnamon and cardamom, and give it a good stir
• in a ramekin, mix the cornflour with the reserved milk until it's smooth, then pour it over the rice
• use a spatula or a wooden spoon to mix gently until the mixture thickens
• I used 2 clay pots to divide the mixture between, but you can also used a single large ovenproof dish
• transfer the dish/dishes to a deep baking tray half-filled with water, and bake at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or until golden brown
• remove from the oven and leave it to cool before serving

Expert tips

The rice pudding can be served either hot or cold. Unlike a more traditional recipe, this pudding stays creamy even when it's cold, rather than thick and lumpy.

Although it is traditional to bake it small clay pots until the crust turns golden brown, feel free to use any ovenproof dishes you have around, as long as it goes in the oven, that's all that matters.

If you’ve liked this recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM , YOUTUBE, TIK TOK , FLIPBOARD and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.